Light-deflector for headlights.



F. F. MAGLEAN.

LIGHT EFLECTOR POE HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1912.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

S F 3 \U r r A/ w UNIT-En sine s PATENT GFFICE.

FREDRIGK F. MAcLE-AN, F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

Specification ofLetters Yatent.

LIGHT-DEFLECTOR F03 HEADLIGHTS.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed October 1, 1912. Serial No. 723,341.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREURLC-K F. -i /lac- Lmmacitizen of the United States, and resident of byracuse, in the county of Onondagznin the State of New .York, have 'invented new and useful Improvements in and the like, but equally applicable to search lights and similar derices where itis desired to concentrate and projcctthe rays of'light considerable distances through space from a suitable lamp or burner through the medium ofa reflector. It is well known that these lights, which are greatly intensified by reflection, tend to momentarily, at least, obscure the vision of ZlPPl'OtlClllilg ped s trians or drivers of vehicles'aud this particularly true of automobile-s and similar fast moving ,vehicles approaching each other, frequently. causing accidents or damage to one or both, of the machines.

Various devices, such as dimmers and shutters, have been proposed for subduing or cut ing ottthe reflected. light and, while they are effective in preventing their reflccted rays from being projected directly into the eyes of approaching pedestrians. horses anddrivers of vehicles, itis equally true that this dimmiiig or obscuring ot the light brings aboutpr ctically the same darr gels to trallic that would .existin driving the cars without lights. I

The main object,therefore, of my present. invention is to provide a lamp or head light with simple means, operable at will. for deflecting rathev-tluin diminishing or ohscuring the reflected rays of light down wardly'(lircrtlv in front of the. moving vehicleupon which thelamp is mounted so as toalu Yys'maintain a strong reflected light directly. ahead of the car but suflicicntly low down toavoid the projection of such rays into the eves of approaching pedestrians horses or drivers of other vehicles.

Another ol )jcct is to construct the de l'leotor in such manner that it may be folded or telescoped into compact space when not in use or easily and quickly adjusted to any degree within an are of approximately 90 vdegrees. when necessary.

A further object ist-o provide means for automatically retract-in or returning the telescoping sections of tie deflector to their normal inoperative position.

Other Objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawin s-l i ure l is a front ole: ration of a head ight s lowing my improved deflector in operative position therein. Fig. ,2 is a side elevation of the greater portion of the same head light with the deflector in the same position. 'Fi-gr3-is a front elevation of the same-head light showing the deflector as folded to its inoperative position. Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional. view partially in elevation of the headlight showing the deflector in its folded positions but in section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view through a portion of one side of the deflector and adjacent portion of the case showing more particularlyone of the.

pivotal studs or screws for. 'said' deflector- ;and the retracting spring for returning the sections of the deflector to their normal p0 sit-ions. Fig. 0 is an enlarged detail sectional view through a portion of thefolde'd deflector and adjacent part of the casing upon which it is mounted. Fig. .7 is a side elevation of a portion of the head alightshown in Fig. 3, the deflector being. folded.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of one side of a deflector showing a modified means of imparting motion from one section to the other. Fig. 2) is a sectional view through one side of two of the adjacent sections of the dellei LO! shown in Fig. 7.

l rx order that my invention may be clearly understood. 1 llnire shown an electric lamp ---l as sliitahly secured in the apex. of a suita le reflector -2 wh ch together with the lamp is mounted within an inclos- .ing case --3- having a transparent plate --al across the open side of the reflector, it being understood that. any other fsuital) e lamp or burner may he suhstitutcil 'for the electric, lamp -l-. The casing -3- is in th i nstaiure circular and tu'ular for receiving in, its open end the reflector and c sing "3 constitutes what maybs lL.i'lll(\ll2i. head light or search light and is similar to that-lcommonly used on motor vehicles, such as street ears, automobiles, motor boats and the like.-

The front end of the casing -3- is provided with an annular enlargement or head 3 upon which is pivotally mounted my improved deflector 5 which is composed of a series of, in this instance five, semi-circular arched segments or sections -6 having a maximum width at the center substantially equal to the corresponding width of the head 3'- from front to rear as shown more clearly in Fig. 6.

This deflector is arranged wholly at the exterior of the case and pivoted so as to swing forwardly and downwardly across the upper portion only of the open side of the reflector 2- or transparent plate 4 so as to deflect the reflected rays of light from the lamp downwardly andfoi wardly and for this purpose the opposite endsof the deflector sections 6 are mounted upon pivotal studs or screws -6'- which are secured in diametrically opposite sides of the case 3 as shown more clearly in Fig. 5.

The central upper portion of the rear edge of the casing -3 is provided with an upwardly projecting limiting stop shoulder 7 having a yielding buffer 8 of rubber or other suitable material on its front face adapted to be engaged by the rear edges of the sections 6- when folded to their normal inoperative positions shown in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7.

The central upper portions of the front of the casing -3 and telescoping sections -6 of the deflector are provided with hook-shaped limiting stops 9- for interlocking engagement with similar but reversed hook-shaped shoulders 10 on the central upper portions of the rear edges of the next superposed sections 6 there by limiting the forward and downward rocking movement of each of said sections relatively to each other and to the upper portion of the casing 3- to approxi- .mately the width from frontto rear of such upper portion of the casing or head 3.

The front edge of the outermost deflector section -6 is provided with a pendant flange -1lextending inwardly or radially a distance corresponding to the radial depth of the combined sections 6- and adjacent side of the casingv 3- when the deflector sections are in their normal or inoperative positions as shown in Fig. 6, said flange constituting means for returning the remaining deflector sections to their normal positions in which all of the sec tions are yieldingly held by a retracting spring 12 shown in Fig. 5. uitable means is provided for operating the detlector from its normal position against the action of the retracting spring 12- and for this purpose one side or end of the outermost section -6 is provided with a crank arm 13 normally extending below the adjacent stud or screw -6-.

An operating member "14 consisting in this instance of a cord or cable, is connected at one end to the crank arm --13- and has its opposite end extending to any suitable part of the vehicle within convenient reaching distance of the o erator and is adapted to be manipulated y hand or oot.

The pivoted ends of the deflector sections '-6- lie in close proximity one against the other although free to turn easily upon their respective pivots while the intermediate portions which telescope with each other are spaced slight distances apart to permit the free operation and interlocking engagement of the shoulders 10 with the shoulders -9- and also affording air passages to reduce the resistance and thereby prevent ing accidental closing o'f-the sections by impact with the air particularly when the vehicle is in rapid motion, it being understood that the shoulders -9 'and -10-' are comparatively short circumferentially or lengthwise of the sections -6. y

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have shown a modified means for imparting rocking motion from one to the next adjacent deflector section, such means consisting in '[JIOVlCllIlg the pivotal ends of one section with lateral projectinglugs 10, moving in relatively short slots -16 in the adjacent sections, the length of said slots or recesses being ,just sufficient to allow each segment to more through an are substantially equal to its cir' eumferential .,width before operating the neXt adjacent section.

Operation: In operation, the deflector seetions 6 are normally held in their folded position as shown more clearly in Fig. 6 by means of the retracting spring -12- and flange -11- which is also provided upon its inner face with a buffer similar to the bu tfer 8, the tension of the spring being sufficient to prevent rattling or relative movement of the sections 6 one upon the other or upon the casing 3--. By pulling upon the cord or cable 14, the sections -6 may be rocked successively from their normal positions against the action of the spring 1l to any intermediate position within an arc of substantially 90 degrees to which the movement of the sections are :nited by the stop shoulders -9 and 10--. In this manner the reflectedrays of light from the lamp through the medium of the reflector -2 may be deflected downwardly below the horizontal plane of the lamps and, therefore. below the horizontal plane of the eves of a pedestrian, horse or driver of an approaching machine and, at the same time, throwing a light of full intensity a cousiderable distance ahead of the machine upon which the deflector is mounted but helou such horizontal plane. Another feature of ad\ antage of this deflector is that, \Vilfil'l it is adjusted for use, the reflected rays of light are also thrown back under the machine, which, in many instances is advantagmus particularly when it is necessary to make an inspection or repairs around or under the machine. As soon as the pulling; upon the cord or cable 14' is released, the spring; 12, aided by the flange -11--, automatically returns all of the deflector sec tions to their normal positions or in a plane Within the front and rear edges of the head 3- of the head light case.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a lamp case having a transparent front plate, a light-do flector hingcdlv mounted upon the exterior of the case and movable to and from a pos tion across the upper portion only of th transparent plate and a stop on the top of the case for limiting the upward and rear ward movement of the deflector.

2. In combination with a lamp ease ha K'- ing a transparent front plate, a lighiyde fiector composed of telescoping 2\lt,llttl sections mo able about a common axis to and from a position across the upper front portion only of said case, a spring for returning the outer section, and means on the outer section for returning the l'tlililillinfj sections.

3. In combination with a lamp having a reflector, 21 light-deflector composed of telescoping arched sections movable about a common axis to and from a pot tion across a, portion of the open side of the reflector, the outermost section having a flange project ng aeross one edge of the remaining s ctions to more the latter in one direction when saiaii outer section is inm'ri'lin the same direction i. la combination with a lamp, a tasing or the lamp. a lightoleileetor connposed of telescoping arched sections hingedly nioiuit ed upon the exterior of the case and provided ith intenengagiing membm's for nuparting motion from one to the other ol the sections when one of said sections is ad justed for use and a flang on said one of the sections for engaging and returning tinremainim: sections 5). in combination with a lamp. a casing: for the lamp, a light-deflector romposed ot' telescoping arched seetirms hinged mount ed upon the exterior of trio ease and prir rided with inter-engaging: members. for inn parting motion from one to the other of the sections when one oi said sections is atljusted for use and a flange on said one of the sections for engaging and return ng the remaining! sertions and autmnatw means for returning the flanged section.

In titness whereof I haw hereunto set my hand this 24th dav of September. li ll.

FRICDRHJR l. \luLlCAN. Witnesses:

l']. A. 'lnonrmx, Era ll. (ileum mm 

